Break the Horizon
by The Storyteller of Dreams
Summary: Al-Thamen never forgive, nor do they ever forget. All those who deserted or betrayed them shall be punished and destroyed. Unfortunately for Ja'far, he's on the top of their list. AU. I don't own the pic.


**Break the Horizon**

Summary: _Al-Thamen never forgive, nor do they ever forget. All those who deserted or betrayed them shall be punished and destroyed. Unfortunately for Ja'far, he's on the top of their list._

Warning(s): Forced gender-change, brainwashing, torture, Alternate Universe—Pre-Canon. Also, I procrastinate. A lot.

Disclaimer: I don't own _Magi _or _Sinbad no Bouken._

There's some mentions of _Sinbad no Bouken _(_Adventures of Sinbad)_, the Magi spin-off starring Sinbad before he became the High King of the Seven Seas.

At the time this story starts, Sindria is still very much in its infancy, hence why Ja'far refers himself as '_one of Sinbad's future Generals'_.

* * *

Chapter 1: Ayano

* * *

_I am Ja'far, chief advisor to Sinbad, King of Sindria and High King of the Seven Seas._

"Who are you?" His torturer asked softly, eyes glinting with cold, calculated cruelty in the dim orange glow of one lone candle. A single, lithe finger stroked the whip held in one hand, before trailing the end up one bare, bloodied calf.

He glared at the other, grey eyes glowing reptilian gold in promised murder.

The torturer merely shook her head in mock sadness and whipped again.

* * *

_I am Ja'far, one of Sinbad's future Generals._

"Aren't you hungry?" The cruel torturer asked quietly, almost sympathetically if it weren't for the way she leisurely ate her beef stew on the cold prison floor. She smiled and lifted a spoonful from the bowl. "You can have some if you want…all you have to do is tell me who you are."

Ja'far glared at her, knowing it was a trick question. "I am Ja'far of Sindria. One of King Sinbad's Eight Generals and his loyal advisor."

"Wrong answer." The torturer sighed once more, returning to eat. "You are a simple servant of the Kou Empire. Please do not delude yourself of any kind of grandeur."

"Then why is a simple, lowly servant being held captive and tortured?" He returned, smirking when he saw the minute tensing of the other. He had surprised her, something the former assassin wagered had never happened before.

Then the woman smoothen her face into an enigmatic smile. "Ah, that is because you did something bad. And you know children _must _be punished for them to learn."

"What did I do?" He knew the answer, but by keeping him talking then perhaps he could find something useful. Something he could use to escape. Hopefully he wouldn't die in the process, but he wouldn't bet on it.

Better dead than returning to Al-Thamen though.

A quick, light laugh. "Child, you _know _what you did, and you never repented for it. Don't you know you're making Father sad?"

"I have no Father." After all, he killed his parents when he was six, and it wasn't as if he was close to them to begin with anyway. "There is nothing I need to repent for."

"But running away from home made Father sad." A wicked smile. "It made _us _upset. Very, very upset actually. Especially once you joined forces with _him. _Oh, how it made us _very _upset. And you know how we are when we are _upset._"

The torturer stood up now, walking over to where he sat chained to the wall. Her tall form blocked the lone candle shining outside his prison, shadowing him and enveloping him in near-familiar darkness. Ja'far had to hold a shiver at the thought. No, not familiar anymore, not since he chose to leave the shadows. The darkness that wrapped him now was akin to long forgotten, dangerous friend, languidly closing over him with the grace of a panther.

He couldn't see her face, but he could very well imagine the smile on her face as she trailed her whip up his naked torso. By now shame was a luxury he couldn't afford.

"Why must you be _such _a _bad _student…" She sighed, almost seeming regretful, before her dark eyes opened to reveal the joyful malice in it. "That's fine. I do _love _a challenge."

The hand holding the whip drew back, and Ja'far closed his eyes, awaiting the now-familiar pain.

* * *

_I am Ja'far, a citizen of Sindria…_

"How are things progressing? I trust you are able to do your work well?"

"Certainly, I am an expert after all. I'm certain he'll be reborn as a better, more useful person for us by the end of the month."

"Then is it time to progress to Phase Two?"

"Yes, it is time for this child to let go of everything he was in the past. His appearance, his personality…his gender. _Everything _must go."

"Of course, milady. I shall prepare the rites right away."

…

The woman outside of Ja'far's cell smiled as she watched the man walked away, before turning her attention back to the bloodied, chained former assassin inside the prison. Humming cheerfully to herself, the torturer blew the sole candle, smiling in delight as she saw the advisor shiver in the sudden darkness. Ahh, she would miss this one once her duty was done.

"A little more, child, then you shall return to Al-Thamen where you belong."

* * *

_I am Ja'far, a former assassin for Al-Thamen…_

The first thing Ja'far noticed when he woke up was the sudden _pain _of it all.

He screamed his throat raw, thrashing and crying out whilst shadowy figures chanted spells in a circle around him, as if they were in some kind of chorus and he, the main singer. He shouted and yelled against his bonds, pulling and struggling uselessly against the chains holding him back, shrieking as he felt his bones warp and shorten, felt his muscles spam and _shift._

Oh _God, _the _shifting __**and changing **__**and moving**__!_

"_AAAAAHHH!" _He screamed, tears in his eyes as an overwhelming heat swept through his body, leaving him delirious and unprepared for the sudden chill that came out of nowhere. _"Stop this! Please! Please __**stop!**__"_

The magicians kept chanting.

Ja'far threw his head back, ignoring the sharp crack from his skull, and _cried_.

_Someone, anyone, please help!_

_Please…help…_

_Masrur…Pisti…Yamuraiha…Sharrkan…Spartos…Hinahoho…Drakon…_

_Sin…_

_He...l…p…_

* * *

_I am Ja'far…a seventeen years-old man…_

What had they done to him?

Groaning groggily, Ja'far tried to open his eyes, blinked when the world seemed to spun around him, and crashed his aching head on the unfamiliar softness of the pillow—

Wait, _what?_

Last time he checked, prisons didn't have pillows.

"Oh, are you awake dear?" A soft, familiar voice murmured, causing the former assassin to opened his eyes in horror.

"_You!" _He breathed aloud as he couldn't shout, his throat still raw and sore from his earlier screams. "What did you _do!?_"

The woman had the audacity to look confused. "Me? What do you mean, Ayano?"

"My name is _Ja'far!_" He growled out, wanting to strangle her with his wires but couldn't do anything more than glare, his body feeling weak and malnourished as it was.

"Why, where did this sudden fantasy came from?" His torturer furrowed her fine brows, reaching out with a smooth hand to touch his forehead.

He shirked back, feeling the urge to bite those slim fingers if only the woman didn't look so genuinely concern, enough to confuse him. It didn't help that his mind was reduced to a puddle right now thanks to the pounding headache and spinning world.

"Ayano, it seemed you hit your head a little too hard." His torturer said, still using the foreign name. She looked sad, dark eyes downcast and full lips turned downwards in a frown. "Do you remember anything?"

"I remember how Al-Thamen kidnapped me and your tortures." He sneered, slightly unsettled by her supposed familiarity with him.

_What if…_

No, he _couldn't, __**shouldn't **_entertain that thought.

_But…_

"What are you talking about Ayano?" She looked sincerely upset now. "Why would we kidnap you when you're a part of us? Why would I torture you when you are a good servant to the Kou Empire?"

"Stop calling me that!" He shouted, and would have slapped her too if he could have mustered the strength. "I'm Ja'far, chief adviser of King Sinbad! I left Al-Thamen _years _ago! Stop lying!"

He panted slightly after his unexpected outburst. Ja'far hadn't meant to shout it all out, but weeks, perhaps even months of dark imprisonment and cold tortures was enough to make him snap. Not to hmention the headache that _wouldn't stop pounding_ and Ja'far couldn't care less if the woman was about to whip him again, he _needed _to let it all out.

He didn't expect the tears though.

_What if…_

"A-Ayano…" The woman whimpered softly, looking so, _so _sad that Ja'far felt guilty for a second. "You really…you really can't remember, can you? I'm Rei, the one who found you and took you in from your destroyed village. You really can't…? Oh, _Ayano…_"

Suddenly, Ja'far was enveloped in a warm hug. Almost _too _warm. Nonetheless, he was powerless to refuse it, and sank into the embrace, feeling only a sort of dazed confusion and the start of lingering guilt as he feebly tried to reorganise his thoughts.

"Oh, Ayano…I know that King Sinbad is every woman's dream, but you mustn't delude yourself by thinking you are a man. Why should you? You are a very lovely woman. Do not degrade yourself by imagining you are something you are not. And as for Al-Thamen? You never left. You never needed to. We are your home, your family, Ayano."

"I…I…" Ja'far tried to protest, but the woman's hug was firm, her chest pressing up against his in a way that suddenly drew his attention to the large breasts he somehow had. Even more, as she tucked her face into the crook of his neck and cried, he could see long, black hair spilling over his shoulders, splaying across the covers.

His hair was _white._

_Right?_

"Don't worry, Ayano." The woman drew back, still sniffling slightly. She wiped her tears away with her sleeves, smiling tearfully at him _(her?). _"I'm certain we'll get through this together. You'll regain your memories in no time!"

_But…I'm not…_

Dazed and confused, Ja'far _(or was it Ayano?) _could only nod back and stared dumbly at the long, dark hair that tumbled over her shoulders at the movement.

The woman _(Rei?)_ smiled softly in return. "That's good. Why don't you rest a little more, Ayano? I think sleep will do you a world of good."

Nodding again, he _(she?) _laid back on the bed, groaning softly as his _(her?) _head hit the pillows. _Ohh..._this does wonders to his _(her?) _aching head, the pounding headache slowly settling into a dull throb as he _(she?) _let himself _(herself?) _fall into the sweet embrace of sleep.

"Goodnight, Ayano." Rei murmured as she tucked the covers under his _(her?) _chin and patted his _(her?) _forehead sweetly.

_I…my name…it's Ja'far…right?_

For a moment, the hammering headache spiked, causing him _(her?) _to cry out, before darkness covered his _(her?) _vision, inviting him _(her?) _to the realm of sleep.

_Who…am…I…?_

* * *

_I…I don't know who I am…_

A week passed in relative peace as her _(she decided on using that pronoun to avoid gender confusion—besides, she couldn't say for sure whether or not she was hallucinating being a boy…) _pounding headache faded away and she was deemed fit to begin her services _(Lady Rei had told her that she was supposed to be a new servant to the Ren Household, but the hit to her head hindered that somewhat)._ To pass the time, Lady Rei had visited her a few times, checking up on her health and giving her some company along with a few books and small gossips. She couldn't shake her earlier distrust of the woman, but as the days passed and the court lady showed her nothing but genuine concern and care, Ayano couldn't help but relax herself around the woman, grateful that a woman of her high standing would be willing to look after a lowly servant.

Now that she was deemed fit for duty however, Lady Rei had sent her to the dorms where the servants stayed. The dark-haired woman was nervous, sure, but Lady Rei had assured her that most of the servants she stayed with had gone through the same thing as her and would gladly welcome the newcomer. Still, that didn't lessen her apprehension as she was led by the court lady to a door.

The door was a simple sliding one that easily slid as Lady Rei pushed it aside, revealing a clean, two rooms place. The first room was a sitting room with a couple of flat cushions and a low table, while the second room, which was on the side, was a bedroom with two beds stacked on top of each other. Even though it was clean, however, there was a definite presence in the rooms, as evidenced by the menagerie of scrolls on the table and the clothes in the closet.

"I apologise, Ayano." Lady Rei said as she ushered her in. "But there was no other room left in this dorm but this one. Is it alright for you to share?"

"I don't mind." She replied, glancing around the bedroom curiously. Who was her new roommate?

"Lady Rei?" A sudden grumble from the doorway startled the servant, but the court lady gracefully turned to face the redhead man standing outside the sitting room. His arms were crossed and there was a frown on his face. "Who is this?"

"She's a new servant, Haruka." Lady Rei answered, a smile flitting her lips which she hid with a raised sleeve. "She's _just _like you."

"I see…" If possible, the frown deepened, but the man's green eyes remained carefully blank and guarded. He stepped aside to let the court lady pass.

"I hope you'll enjoy your stay, Ayano." Lady Rei turned to smile at her before she walked away, calling over her shoulder to Haruka. "And don't do anything…_untoward_…to her, Haruka."

Ayano couldn't help but stare helplessly as the court lady walked away, her nervousness piling up as she watched the handsome man step in and slid the door shut. She felt trapped, powerless as the man gaze at her with viridian eyes fit to pierce the soul.

"So, who are you?" The man, Haruka, asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

She _so _didn't squeak in surprise. "I-I'm Ayano—!"

"No!" The redhead shouted, but he regained himself and shook his head fiercely. There was something _sad _lingering in those piercing eyes. "No…I mean, who _are _you? Who…are you before _they _took you in?"

"What do you mean?" Now she was confused, wary of his questions. "I'm Ayano. Lady Rei told me that's who I am."

He snorted dismissively, before sighing and he went passed her and jumped on the top bunk. "_Of course, _she said that. Well, be careful with who you believe in. That woman…I can't say much, they'll capture me if they know I—anyway, you should try to figure out for yourself who you really are."

"What do you mean?" She has a ton of questions to ask: who are you, why do you say that, how do you know, etc—but she couldn't get any answer. The other servant was obstinate in remaining silent.

Except:

"If you want to live, ask your questions a little more quietly." He murmured as he turned away from her and settled into sleep. "And try to _remember._"

* * *

_I am Ayano, a servant in the Ren Household and as of today, I will be Ren Kougyouku's retainer._

The weeks passed as she got used to her new duties as a servant before she received a shocking promotion that sent many of her fellow servants congratulating her. For some reason, Lady Rei had chosen her to care for one of the Imperial Princesses. When she asked her roommate why she had done so _(they had gotten along better after the rocky beginning), _Haruka just shrugged and mumbled something about keeping her enemies closer.

_Sometimes, Haruka could sound much like a conspiracy theorist._

Standing in front of the door to the Eighth Imperial Princess' room, Ayano nervously smoothen her new robes. As the retainer to an Imperial Princess, she had received new clothes to better suit her position, though to be honest she was more comfortable in her previous robes. This…dress-robe, for lack of better word, was too fancy for her, and bit more loose and billowy and thick than comfortable.

Still, she couldn't complain when many would be willing to give an arm and leg to be in her place. She knew Ka Koubun would be happy to trade places with her, for example.

Taking a deep breath, Ayano gently knocked the door before bowing her head, expecting the young princess to appear. When nothing happened after a few minutes, she knocked the door again. Like before, the princess didn't appear. Frowning slightly, she pushed the door aside and quietly stepped in.

Many had called her a ninja, like the clans in the long strip of island to the east of the continent, or an assassin for the almost inhuman quietness in her steps. She herself couldn't tell where she had learnt to move so quietly. Lady Rei had said that it was due to the training Al-Thamen had given her, training her mind had apparently forgot but her body remembered. Why she needed to be trained, Ayano didn't know, but she trusted the court lady to tell her in time.

Haruka merely glanced at her and said that she should keep her guard up around the court lady.

The dark-haired woman had to take a second to believe her eyes. The room was more dishevelled than she thought, with dolls and pillows scattered all over the floor while clothes of all colours were sporadically thrown everywhere. Carefully, she picked up a doll, looking at its poor state, and glance around to find the princess. Where was Ren Kougyouku?

A sudden shriek, as quiet as the mewling of a kitten but just as sad, alerted her to the princess' position. Silently, she walked over to where she found the young princess huddled underneath a table, back towards her and shaking like a kicked puppy.

_God, what __**happened**__ to her?_

From what Ayano knew Ren Kougyouku was the nine-year old daughter of the current Emperor, born from some courtesan who was lucky enough to prove her paternity with the tell-tale red hair. Due to that, the princess wasn't considered to have any real noble blood in her aside from her father's and was left almost forgotten until she was assigned to her.

Well no more. As her retainer, Ayano wouldn't let this poor child be alone anymore. The sudden decision surprised her a bit, but she became more determined the more she saw the lonely princess, huddling in the shadows all alone. No child deserves to live in the darkness without knowing the light.

_! ! !  
_

_(There was a boy with long violet hair tied into a ponytail, a beaming, confident grin on his face as he spoke of his dreams and ideals and—)_

_("You're different from those blue-blood hogs I killed before. Perhaps it would be a shame to kill you. However…I'm not planning to become someone's subordinate. If someday you become boring and fail me, I'll kill you right away.")_

_("No problem. That day won't come.")_

_("Hmph, it's a deal then.")_

_W-what was __**that**__!?_

Shaking her head, Ayano tried to push the daydream _(hallucination? Memories?) _away and focus on the shaking child in front of her. There would be time to analyse the…_thing _later. Right now, her new charge needed her.

"Hello there, Princess." She said softly in what she _hoped _was a friendly manner. The princess tensed and tried to run away, this time hiding herself under a mattress.

"My name is Ayano. I'm your retainer as of today." She crouched next to where the princess was hiding and continued as if nothing had happened. "To be honest, I was really nervous to meet you! I mean, you're a _princess,_ the daughter of the Emperor, and I'm just a servant who was lucky enough to get a promotion."

She long-haired, dark-haired woman let out a small chuckle, smiling a bit when she saw she got the princess' attention. "I…don't really know what I'm supposed to do. Actually, I just got hired a few weeks ago, so this is all new to me. However, I would really like to know you better, Princess."

"I…" Ayano perked her ears and turned to face the princess. This was the first time she heard the child speak. The little red-haired girl looked uncertain, looking down and away from her. "I…no one ever came because they want to know me…I…I don't think anyone realise I exist…I mean, I never seen anyone…"

"Oh, _Princess…" _Ayano sighed, unable to resist the urge to pick up the young girl and hug her. The princess yelped, openly surprised, before she relaxed in her arms and hesitantly hugged her back.

"If you want, I can be your friend." Ayano offered as she pulled out of the hug, but kept her arms wrapped comfortably around the girl. "You don't have to feel lonely ever again! And we can find out ways to improve your status, make sure _no one _will _ever _forget you exist ever again. You're an Imperial Princess, so there's _got _to be a way!"

"R-really? You want to be my friend!?" Kougyouku's eyes lit up, sparkling bright unlike the shadowed look from before.

Ayano nodded, smiling back.

"T-t-thank you!" The little girl cried out happily, throwing her arms around the older teen. Ayano laughed lightly, returning the embrace.

"Now, how about we get you presentable, hmm?" She chuckled teasingly, picking up a lock of dishevelled red hair. "Then we can play and talk some more. Is that alright with you, Princess?"

"Yes!"

* * *

-(X)-

* * *

**Fun Facts:**

—"Ayano" means _'my colour' _or _'my design' _in Japanese. This is a reference to how Lady Rei had changed Ja'far into a woman with a seemingly new personality.

—"Rei" can mean _'zero', 'black, dark, many', 'ghost', 'elegance', 'spirit', 'jade', _and _'exquisite, clever, sound of jewels'_ in Japanese, depending on the kanji used. This is a reference to her work in Al-Thamen and the Kou Empire, as well a bit on her personality herself. She's kind of similar to Gyokuen that way.

—"Haruka" means _'far off, distant'_. You guys will understand why I chose this name later on.

—The flashback bit came from _Sinbad no Bouken _chapter 24, where Ja'far first decided to follow Sinbad. _(Oh, Ja'far, you didn't know it then but you pretty much became his housewife! Lol ^ _ ^)_

—Kougyouku was supposed to meet Ka Koubun when she was 9, but in this AU, Ja'far was the one who became her retainer and friend. In a way, I think it's better this way. Koubun was a manipulative prick that only wanted to use Kougyouku to further his status. The guy wanted to use her future baby to get power and traumatized her by tricking her into believing she slept with Sinbad for crying out loud! At least 'Ayano' has no ulterior motives…

* * *

See you later! (Hopefully soon...) ^ _ ^

The Storyteller of Dream


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